dfa matters

8/11/2019 Dfa Matters

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Unyielding

______________________________________________________________

The Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to send 12,000 UN peacekeepers to the Central

Arican !epu"lic, #here violence "et#een Christians and $uslims has triggered ears o genocide%

The resolution, su"mitted "y &rance, #ill deploy up to 10,000 military personnel and 1,'00 police to

the ormer &rench colony, #here sectarian violence has killed thousands in the last year%

The UN peacekeeping mission is scheduled to take over on Septem"er 1( rom 2,000 &rench and

),000 Arican Union soldiers already in place as humanitarian needs in CA! escalate%

The Security Council adopted !esolution 21*+ in a vote called "y Nigeria, #hich holds the "odys

rotating presidency%

The mandate o the UN $ultidimensional -ntegrated Sta"ili.ation $ission in the Central Arican

!epu"lic /$-NUSCA is to protect civilians and humanitarian convoys, maintain order, support apolitical transition and promote human rights%

&rance hailed #hat its am"assador to the UN called a key turning point and urged the UN and

Arican Union to do everything possi"le to allo# a s#it and eective deployment%

The security situation in CA! remains volatile, am"assador erard Araud told reporters ater the

vote%

Arican Union troops supported "y the &rench troops are doing tremendous #ork to protect the

civilian population 33 "ut its 4ust not yet enough%

3 CA! on edge o disaster 3

US am"assador Samantha 5o#er, #ho 4ust returned rom the Central Arican !epu"lic, said she

could personally attest to the critical urgency o "ringing more security there%

She said the country #as on the edge o disaster%

AU troops have done heroic #ork%%% "ut untold horrors continue in small villages throughout the

countryside, she said%

The United States has pledged 6)7 million in humanitarian aid or the Central Arican !epu"lic this

inancial year, ocused on health, protection, economic recovery, #ater and sanitation%

The United States #ill also #ork to#ards getting more Arican troops into CA! "eore Septem"er 1(,

to overcome a decline in num"ers provoked "y the departure o Chadian troops%

Chad announced last #eek it #as #ithdra#ing rom the Arican peacekeeping orce% -ts troops aced

repeated accusations o siding #ith $uslims in the sectarian violence%


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The oreign minister o the Central Arican !epu"lic thanked the Security Council and international

community or its support, saying his government #as very happy #ith the UN deployment%

The United Nations #as the only partner #ho could help his country e8it the crisis, Toussaint 9ongo3

:oudou said%

The UN #ill create the necessary rame#ork #here all nationals, all the citi.ens o the Central

Arican !epu"lic #ill sit, discuss, talk to each other in order to ind a lasting solution, he said%

3 UN unding alling short 3

Aid group Save the Children, #hich is #orking on the ground across Central Arican !epu"lic, said

the UN deployment cannot come soon enough%

-ts head o humanitarian policy and advocacy, eorge raham, said )00,000 people #ere in

internally displaced camps% Some 20,000 $uslims #ere "esieged in enclaves, threatened "y armed

militias, #hile most other $uslim amilies have already led over the "orders%

The humanitarian situation in CA! is dire and set to #orsen once the rainy season "egins in earnest

at the end o this month, said raham%

-t is vitally important that e8isting peacekeepers on the ground are properly unded to prevent the

situation in CA! spiraling urther out o control, he said%

A UN appeal or CA! #as only 2; percent unded so ar, he added%

The


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=ut 5utin did not appear to "e in a conciliatory mood as he dispatched a note to 1'


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HTTP://WORLDOBSERVERONLINE.COM/CATEGORY/WORLD/REST-OF-THE-WORLD/The lastthing a 3-year-old Syrian said

before he died: Im gonna tellGod everythingDECEMBER 29, 2013 11:36 AM COMMENTS OFFVIEWS: 2960062

This picture is haunting and itGs "een loating around the internet #ith the sentenceH

The last sentence a 3-year-old Syrian said before he died: Im gonna tell God everything

And thatGs eFually haunting% -tGs impossi"le to veriy "ut the picture tells a story a"out the pain andsuering that e8ists in Syria right no#% There are many in the media #ho #ould like to say this is "ecausepresident =ashar al3Assad is a ruthless killer% And thatGs hal true% ike other government leaders I hehas engaged in #ar and #ith that #ar has come the death o tens o thousands and the displacement oover 1 million Syrians no# living in reugee camps%

=ut this hasnGt al#ays "een the case% This is the inevita"le result o a covert #ar "eing #aged "y the U%S%,-srael and other Sunni countries like Jatar and Saudi Ara"ia% ?ur interests in taking do#n the Syriandictator al3Assad are all a"out geo3politics% - #e take out Syria I #e neuter -ranian inluence in theregion% -t has gotten so "ad that al3Jaeda is no# ighting on the same side as the United Statesgovernment and =ashar al3Assad and his government are ighting al3Jaeda% And Syrians are all the

victim o this massive glo"al covert pro8y #ar%

-t has gotten to the point #here #e donGt even kno# i the chemical #eapons that #ere used in Syria #ere

the result o al3Jaeda or the Syrian government% >hen it comes to matters o intelligence andpropaganda I itGs very hard to discern truth rom iction% =ut no one can deny that Syria #as a very sta"lecountry until #e decided to go in all guns "la.ing% >eGre not "ringing democracy to the #orld I thatGs thesound o imperialism "a"y%

The Ayungin Shoal recently came into ocus in the 5hilippine pu"lic mind #hen Chinese coast guard

ships prevented a 5hilippine civilian government "oat rom provisioning the marine outpost a"oard
http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/12/29/last-thing-3-year-old-syrian-said-died-im-gonna-tell-god-everything/


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the derelict =!5 Sierra $adre% The latter #as intentionally grounded "y the 5hilippines in 1+++, our

years ater the Chinese troops sei.ed the near"y $ischie !ee and started "uilding a permanent

outpost% -t is no# a lashpoint in the current political tussle "et#een the 5eopleGs !epu"lic o China

and the 5hilippines%

The Ayungin Shoal is a small su"merged ormation that orms part o the Spratly -sland group, and

a"out 200 kilometers #est o 5ala#an% The 5hilippines considers it as part o its continental shel

and #ithin its orld >ar --, turned over the latter to any"ody% -t

only relinFuished its claim, there"y rendering the -slands #ithout a clear sovereign% Thus China,

Tai#an, Dietnam, and the 5hilippines put or#ard their respective claims%

Ayungin Shoal, "y virtue o its "eing #ithin its 2003mile


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Navy% Technically speaking, it is covered "y the $utual :eense Treaty "et#een the 5hilippines and

the United States% China is not sure #hat the latterGs response #ould "e i there is an attack on the

ship%

@o#ever, short o an overt military attack, China is doing its "est to deny provisioning o the =!5Sierra $adre and to pressure the 5hilippines to a"andon it% A game o patintero or a tag game

thereore ensues, "ecoming more dangerous as a ticking time "om"%

The situation can still "e resolved in a "ilateral negotiation process% @o#ever, 5hilippines hope to

have a avora"le -T?S decision "eore it does so "ecause o international recognition o its claim%

China aces a dilemma in Ayungin Shoal and other contested areas% - it #aits or the -T?SQ#hich

may decide against itQit #ould have tacitly "ound itsel to UNC?S and risk a rogue state reputation

i it asserts its claim in the South China Sea% - its militarily acts no#, it may ace internationalisolation%

-t may do nothing in the ace o this dilemma, and #ait or avora"le situations later% This has its o#n

dilemma, as it already aroused #ariness and distrust among its Southeast Asian neigh"ors that

"order South China Sea% $ost o them prepare or any eventuality%

Ayungin stands as the sym"ol o 5hilippinesG determination to deend its territory% -t may #ell

represent a line in the shoalR%

____________________________

_No is and "uts a"out itH the 5hilippines and China are no longer riends%

ThatGs a decision that the 5hilippines made #hen it hauled China to the United Nations Ar"itral

Tri"unal over the latterGs all 3South 3China 3Sea3encompassing +3dash line map% As ormer

am"assador to the United Nations auro =a4a said, L>hen #e iled a case against China at the U%N%

that #as the end o diplomacy%M

The su"mission o the $emorial on the case today at the U%N% CourtGs headFuarters at The @ague

urther reinorced the hostility%

As a sovereign country, the 5hilippines has every right to choose #ho to "e riends #ith and #ho to

take on% The AFuino government has chosen to "attle #ith China% -tGs a move applauded "y allies

#ho are uncomorta"le #ith the enormous strength o modern China "ut are hesitant to antagoni.e

the #orldGs second largest economy%

The 5hilippines can "ask in that momentary applause "ut at the end o the day it has only itsel to

rely on #hen push comes to shove in the conlict #ith China%


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Chinese oicials, intent to save relations #ith the 5hilippines, reFuested through emissaries to delay

the iling o the $emorial% =runei, one o the our claimants in the Association o Southeast Asian

Nations, told &oreign Secretary Al"ert del !osario last Banuary that they are o the opinion that a

delay in the su"mission o the $emorial #ould ease the tension in the region%

The same reFuest #as sent "y China to 5resident AFuino through a "ackchannel% L>e donGt e8pect

the 5hilippines to #ithdra# the suit "ecause #e understand that national pride is at stake% =ut #e

hope you can delay it, L #as the message rom a ranking Chinese oicial%

AFuino and his advisers decided to re4ect ChinaGs reFuest%

Chinese &oreign $inistry Spokesman @ong ei said >ednesday LChina is uns#erving in its resolve

and determination to saeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity% >e hope that the

5hilippine side can "e ully a#are o the comple8ity and sensitivity o the South China Sea issue,

return to the right track o resolving the dispute through negotiation and consultation as soon as

possi"le, stop going any urther do#n the #rong track so as to avoid urther damage to "ilateral

relations%M

No# that the 5hilippines has decided to take the hardline position against China, the Fuestion is,

#hat preparations is it taking to "e ready or ChinaGs retaliation%

@istory has sho#n that Chinese never let pass a hostile move against them% The retaliation may not

"e immediate "ut they hit "ack%

The 5hilippines has many vulnera"le spots that China can choose to hit% Unlike 5hilippine leaders

#hose oreign aairs moves are aimed to the gallery, the Chinese are ocused in their vision% They#ill not do things to hurt the 5hilippines that #ill also have an adverse eect on them% -t is unlikely

that they #ill send "ack &ilipino #orkers in @ongkong "ecause it #ill cause diiculties to the people

o @ongkong% They #ill not cut their nose to spite their ace%

The possi"le retaliation o China #ill "e to occupy more islands in the contested areas%

&or all intents and purposes, the 5hilippines has already lost Scar"orough Shoal also kno#n as =a4o

de $asinloc and 5anatag Shoal /@uangyan -sland to the Chinese %

>ith three ships permanently stationed in Scar"orough Shoal, China is in control o the rock, 12*

nautical miles rom Kam"ales since April ', 2012%

They have also "een in control o $ischie !ee in the Spratlys since 1++(%

A 1++' study "y then ieutenant $ichael Studeman o the U%S% Navy sho#ed that the Chinese

occupied $ischie in retaliation to #hat it considered L"etrayalM "y the 5hilippines%


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Studeman #roteHM Chinas occupation o $ischie !ee #as not a "olt rom the "lueO it #as preceded

"y a chain o events that "egan #ith a alling3out #ith the 5hilippines over hydrocar"on e8ploration

in the northeast region o the Spratlys%

LBoint development talks "et#een China and the 5hilippines over gas3rich !eed =ank "roke do#n in

early 1++*O in $ay, $anila decided to grant a si83month oil e8ploration permit to Alcorn 5etroleum

and $inerals%27 The 5hilippines #as interested in collecting seismic data on the sea"ed south#est o

!eed =ank% $anila hoped the contract #ould remain a secret, "ut ne#s o the colla"oration soon

leaked% =ei4ing s#itly issued a statement reasserting its sovereignty over the area covered "y the

license and ignored $anilas "elated invitation to "ecome a partner in the pro4ect% $anila "ack3

pedaled on the diplomatic ront or #eeks, "ut the damage had "een done% =y secretly licensing an

e8ploration eort the 5hilippines had appeared to engage in unilateral eorts to e8ploit the natural

resources o the Spratlys%

LStung "y $anilas "etrayal,G China decided to advance east#ard or "etter surveillance coverage oany 5hilippine3sponsored oil e8ploration% $ischie !ee is in the lo#er3middle section o the Alcorn

concessionO a presence there #ould also strengthen Chinas hand #ere petroleum ever to "e

discovered in the area% The Chinese post on $ischie !ee #as discovered "y &ilipino ishermen in

&e"ruary 1++(, the advanced state o its "uildings indicating that construction had "egun in the all

o 1++*, 4ust a e# months ater $anilas au8 pas%G China had Fuietly advanced onto the ree "ecause

it "elieved physical occupation #as the only method "y #hich Chinese interests could "e protected%

=ei4ings o#n misstep #as in not oreseeing that this characteristically deensiveG response #ould "e

interpreted as oensive%

A Chinese Coast Guard ship blocks PH supply ship.Photo

by Erik de Castro, Reuters.$ischie !ee is 21 nautical miles rom Ayungin shoal also kno#n as Second

Thomas shoal /!enGai !ee to the Chinese, #here a grounded =!5 Sierra $adre serves as a

5hilippine $arines post% At least three Chinese ships are closely #atching the activities in Ayungin

shoal%

5hilippine media reported 4u"ilantly a"out ho# last #eek ships "ringing supplies to the $arines in

=!5 Sierra $adre #ere a"le to get past the Chinese ships% @o#ever, it is o"vious that the Chinese

Coast uard allo#ed them% And China can "lock the re3supply in the uture i they #ant to%
https://s1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kXiQDpLCqd2jCxtPdu2jkA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http:/media.zenfs.com/en-PH/blogs/inbox/A-Chinese-Coast-Guard-ship-blocks-PH-supply-ship.Photo-by-Erik-de-Castro-Reuters..jpg


10/28

AFuino and his advisers #ould do #ell to remem"er the #ords o American #riter ois $c$aster

=u4oldH L>hen you choose an action, you choose the conseFuences o that action% >hen you desire a

conseFuence you had damned #ell "etter take the action that #ould create it%M

___________

The 5hilippines has iled its *,0003page $emorial "acked "y the United Nations Convention on thea# o the Sea3"acked /UNC?S "eore an ar"itral tri"unal% >ith this move, the country is

strengthening its claim over the >est 5hilippine Sea /South China Sea%

The memorial is the countryGs #ritten argument on the disputed territories% -t is composed o 10

volumes and more than *,000 pages, containing relevant evidence that ensures that "acks every

claim%

-n a press conerence on Sunday, $arch ;0, :epartment o &oreign Aairs Secretary Al"ert del

!osario stated, >ith irm conviction, the ultimate purpose o the memorial is our national interest%

-tGs a"out deining #hat is legitimately ours% -tGs a"out securing our childrenGs uture% -tGs a"outguaranteeing the reedom o navigation% -tGs a"out preserving our regional peace, security, and

sta"ility%

The 5hilippines has iled the $emorial despite the recent actions o China% ?n Saturday, $arch 2+,

t#o Chinese Coast uard vessels "locked a 5hilippine civilian ship #hile it #as en route to "ring

supplies and troops to the Ayungin Shoal, an area disputed "y $anila and =ei4ing%

The 5hilippine ship #as eventually a"le to "ring resh supplies to the troops on the =!5 Sierra

$adre, a US3made vessel that #as deli"erately ran aground the Ayungin !ee in 1+++ to serve as the

countryGs outpost in the area% The Navy vessel also "rought a resh set o troops to relieve the currentcre# on"oard the Sierra $adre%

Del Rosario said the Philippines is virtually ready to file the document, called a memorial.

The Philippines is required to submit the memorial through e-mails and courier deliveries, which

should come with soft copies in storage devices such as USBs.

In an e-mail to Rappler, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza said the Philippines will submit the

memorial on the deadline itself. (READ:PH 'fully committed' to file pleading vs China)

I think it's a very convincing piece of document, Del Rosario told reporters after a media conference

in Makati City.

No escape for China
http://www.rappler.com/nation/53740-philippines-committed-case-chinahttp://www.rappler.com/nation/53740-philippines-committed-case-china


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The memorial, after all, should come with all documentary, witness, expert, and other evidence that

the Philippines intends to rely on, according to the Rules of Procedure set by the designated arbitral

tribunal supported by the United Nations.

It should also have as attachments the legal authorities (such as treaties, laws, decrees, or judicial

decisions) cited in their submissions.

NO TO CHINA'S CLAIMS. In July 2013, policemen block protesters from going near the building that houses the

Chinese consulate. File photo by LeANNE Jazul/Rappler

The Rules of Procedure also show that Beijing, which has rejected the arbitral proceedings, has no

escape from Manila's pleading.

China will receive it in any case.

Like the arbitral tribunal, China will find the memorial on its doorstep through e-mail and courier. Thehard copies should come with a complete electronic copy in a USB flash drive or another electronic

device, if possible in searchable Adobe PDF.

'Strong case'


12/28

The registry, the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, the Netherlands, will receive

copies, too.

The Philippines is required to dispatch two copies of its submission to the opposing party, one copy

to each member of the arbitral tribunal, and four copies to the registry.

The Philippines will submit the memorial after China reportedlyoffered incentivesto stop this.

Observers alsowarned about a possible backlashfrom Beijing.

By filing the memorial, the Philippines not only seeks to defend the merits of the case, but also to

clear a major hurdle. It is a question of jurisdiction, of whether the arbitral tribunal should hear the

case in the first place. (READ:PH faces major hurdle in China case)

The Philippines' lawyer in its case against China, Paul Reichler, however told Rappler he is confident

about the case. I will simply say that the entire legal team that has been engaged by the Philippines

believes that the Philippines has a strong case, both on jurisdiction and on the merits. Rappler.co

A first in history: PH gets investment grade

=y9im Arveen 5atria Eahoo Southeast Asia Ne#sroom I ;27201;Philippines makes its biggest bet this weekend in a high-stakes bid to oin the world!s "more

The 5hilippines "agged a landmark vote o conidence as glo"al de"t #atcher &itch raised thecountrys credit rating to investment grade%

&or the irst time in history, the 5hilippines is deemed as a country #here it is sae or glo"al

investors to pour in capital%

An investment grade is also seen to lo#er the 5hilippines "orro#ing cost, there"y increasingopportunities or the government to save%

Related story: Why A!ino vetoed "agna #arta for the $oor The 5hilippine economy has "een resilient, e8panding )%) in 2012 amid a #eak glo"al economic

"ackdrop, &itch said in a statement >ednesday%

9ey drivers or the credit rating hike, &itch said, are strong e8ternal "alance sheets, a persistentcurrent account surplus and high remittances%

&itch also lauded reorms implemented under the previous and present administrations, #hich itsaid led to avora"le macroeconomic outturns%

&itch is the irst de"t #atcher to give the 5hilippines an investment grade, even as t#o other ratingirms place the 5hilippines only a notch lo#er%

-mprovements in iscal management "egun under 5resident Arroyo have made general governmentde"t dynamics more resilient to shocks, &itch said%

>elcoming the long3a#aited credit rating upgrade, 5resident =enigno AFuino --- said the
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13/28

development #ill encourage even greater interest and investments in our country%

This is an institutional airmation o our good governance agenda, AFuino said in a statementposted on the ?icial a.ette%

Sound iscal management and integrity3"ased leadership has led to a resurgent economy in the ace

o uncertainties in the glo"al arena, he added%

:el !osario deines ; pillars o oreign policy

#y $erry E. EsplanadaPhilippine %aily &n'uirer(irst Posted )*+)+)) ))/)00

1A2&3A, Philippines4(oreign 5ecretary Albert del Rosario has set out the three pillars o6 the country4s 6oreign policy+national security, economic diplomacy and the protection and promotion o6 the wel6are o6 (ilipinos abroad.

%el Rosario sought to de6ine the thrust o6 his tenure as head o6 the %epartment o6 (oreign A66airs 7%(A8 during thedepartment4s turno9er rites with outgoing (oreign 5ecretary Alberto Romulo on :uesday a6ternoon at the %(A o66icesin Pasay City.

:he %(A press corps was not allowed to co9er the e9ent on orders o6 %el Rosario who e;plained that it was an 4internal matter.4


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%el Rosario earlier said that the Philippines 4will ha9e to be more engaged with 2orth Asia,4 re6erring to China,$apan and Borea.

He noted that a signi6icant amount o6 in9estments as well as tourists coming to the country were 6rom these three richAsian countries.

Howe9er, the >5-educated %el Rosario said the >5 will remain the Philippines4 4sole strategic partner,4 possiblysignaling a gradual and measured path back into the >5 sphere o6 in6luence, a6ter years o6 dri6t toward China duringthe pre9ious Arroyo administration.

Overview: waves of world history

World history is the story of human experience. It is a story of how people, ideas, and

goods spread across the earth creating our past and our present. To help us better

understand this experience, we will divide history into four main eras: prehistory,

ancient times, middle ages, and modern times. Our story begins during prehistory in

east Africa where human life began. rom Africa humans spread to !urasia "!urope

and Asia#, to Australia, and finally to the Americas. $uman migration was one of the

great waves of history.

%uring most of history, most humans made their living by hunting and gathering.

Then about &',((( years ago, people in the )iddle !ast learned how to raise a wild

wheat plant, and agriculture was born ** another great wave of history. +o longer were

humans constantly on the move searching for food. eople could settle in one place,

build cities, and ma-e inventions li-e the plow, wheel, and writing. The complex

societies that resulted are what we call civiliation, another wave of history and the

start of ancient times. In terms of a human lifetime, waves of change moved slowly,

and much stayed the same amid the changes.

Waves of history were channeled over the earth by geography. The first civiliations

arose in river valleys where rivers provided fresh water for raising crops and

transportation for moving crops to mar-et. /eginning in )esopotamia, civiliation

spread west to !gypt and east to India. These three civiliations formed an early

international trading networ- that eventually extended across the connected lands of

!urasia and +orth Africa, a vast region that lies in a temperate climate one where

most of the world0s people have lived since prehistoric times. )ore people meant

more ideas, more inventions, and more diseases than in other parts of the world.

Waves of change too- longer to reach sub*1aharan Africa and the Americas because

they were separated from !urasia by physical barriers of desert and ocean.

As agriculture replaced hunting and gathering, human population increased. eople in

civilied societies divided themselves into une2ual social classes with priests and

-ings at the top. Wealthy landowners collected rent payments from poor farmers, men


15/28

came to dominate women, and slavery became common. In the grasslands of central

!urasia, nomadic people chose not to settle down and raise crops. They lived by

herding animals from pasture to pasture with the seasons. They learned to ride horses,

developed cavalry s-ills, and attac-ed settled communities. 1ometimes these nomadic

raiders con2uered great civiliations.

%uring ancient times people in !urasia invented many things that still define

civiliation today such as money, armies, iron, math, literature, democracy, and ma3or

world religions ** to name a few. Ancient times lasted for roughly 4,((( years, ending

about 5(( A% after nomadic raiders brought down great classical civiliations in

India, 6hina, and the )editerranean. The middle ages followed and lasted a thousand

years.

6hange spread to new places mostly through trading contacts. 1ome people welcomed

change, while others avoided change and tried to maintain traditional ways. In the late

middle ages, 6hina was a superpower with the greatest navy in the world until 6hina0srulers chose to reduce contact with the outside world and dismantled the fleet. This

choice opened the door for !uropeans to ma-e the great voyages of discovery that

connected the world and began the modern era around the year &5((. 6hange was

moving faster now.

Three centuries later, !uropeans learned how to power machines by burning fuels,

unleashing the Industrial 7evolution ** another great wave of history. 6hange moved

even faster. At first, !uropeans used their machines to dominate other peoples of the

world who lac-ed advanced technology. Then !uropeans turned their machines on

each other, launching two suicidal world wars that ended !uropean world dominance.

The stream of time flows on. As always, we humans face challenges to our survival,

but in our time the challenges are global. )odern technology is consuming the world0s

resources, threatening the earth0s environment, and it has produced weapons that could

end human life. The world is tied together through communications and trade, but the

world remains divided between the 8haves8 and the 8have nots.8

$istory created our past and our present, but the future is up to us. There is no

instruction manual for the future, but we do have a guide that shows how the world

wor-s and how humans behave. That guide is history.

%I&'("A#) *+*: SA"&', (R,IG. S,R/I#, ,0A" 12,STI(.

Eou are the American Am"assador to, say,


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Eou think that the art#ork gloriies, in horriic ashion, the events o +11% To add insult to in4ury,

this art#ork is sho#cased during a Cairo conerence aimed at analy.ing conlict resolution initiatives

post +11%

EouH

a 5olitely continue to make your #ay through the e8hi"it /despite your deep anger and discomort

and keep your diplomatic #its a"out youO

" eave /in a it o disgust the e8hi"it a"ruptly #ithout telling your hosts #hyO

c !egister a ver"al protest to "oth the artist and museum curatordirector a"out the #ork o art

e8pressing, in orceul terms, ho# reprehensi"le you think it isO

d :estroy the installation /as a pre3planned protestO or

e :estroy the installation /in a it o spontaneous rage%

- #ould pick choice c% =ut, in a roughly analogous event /su"stitute a smiling 5alestinian suicide

"om"er or Atta the -sraeli Am"assador to Stockholm picked d /NoteH its "eing mostly depicted as

e in the press33"ut it appears the Am"assador had pre3planned his protest%

eave aside that the artist /himsel a S#edish Be# sounds hugely lame and that the cali"er o his

installation /like so much cutting3edge contemporary, er, art is under#helming%

eave aside the moronic title o the piece /Sno# >hite and the $adness o Truth, highly oensive,

as Sno# >hite is the artists appellation or the emale suicide "om"er and the artists risi"le

description o himsel as an eye3"leeding ultimate composer o intiadic and eruptive lung3outs%

eave aside the Stockholm museum directors hyper"ole that the -sraeli Am"assador pulled out theplugs and thre one of the spotlights into the fountain! hich caused the entire installation to

short-circuit and made it totally life-threatening%%% />hat is,"totally life-threatening", o course,are -slamic Bihad suicide "om"ers entering caes and restaurants and "lo#ing themselves up%

And even, as - dont think its ultimately irrelevant, leave aside that this e8hi"it #as taking place

contemporaneously #ith a conerence initiated "y the S#edish government on the lessons o the

@olocaust%

No#, you could make an argument that ree speech runs "oth #ays% The S#edish Be#ish artist en4oys

reedom o artistic e8pression, and the -sraeli Am"assador has the right tosym"olic protest%

-ndeed, given postmodern trends to#ards interactivity #ith art#ork and such33the Am"assadorsactions might not prove as atypical as #e think%

?ended or under#helmed "y the latest oerings at the ne8t >hitney "iennialV >ell, pull the plug

on the thing%

=ut such semi3serious musings aside, here are the deeper issues at play%
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1059906/postshttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384385.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384385.htmlhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1059906/postshttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384385.html


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To "etter understand them, check out the te8t accompanying the art#ork%

There is apiece up in @aaret.that descri"es the te8t as "eautiul% - ind it, rather, discomortingly

relativistic%

=ut the opinion #riter in @aaret. still has a point #hen he #ritesH

This is a beautiful te#t$It has one serious flaw: it violates an Israeli taboo whereby it isprohibited to look hard at the faces of the suicide terrorists. Breaking this taboo

made the Israeli ambassador blow a fuse.%oever! the ambassador gave us the code forhat is happening here! not there! and it is no different from the days hen "&ueen of the

'athtub!" %anoch (evin)s play that satiri*ed Golda +eir)s government! as ithdran from thestage of the ,ameri Theater$ o the theaters are cautious$ There is nothing really political inthem$ Similarly! there as the "punishment of .ose Saramago!" hose tens of thousands of readersboycotted his important boo/ "'lindness$" 0nd there are many other e#amples% Wemphasis addedX%

>hat lies "ehind the aces o these suicide "om"ersV A emale la#yerV A young mother o t#oV

:avid Adesnik, a e# days "ack, #roteH

'ut as Golda +eir said many! many years ago! there ill be no peace until the 0rabs love theirchildren more than they hate Israel%

Thats too easy% The emale suicide "om"er pro"a"ly did love her children more than she hated

-srael% The real Fuestion is, #hat nevertheless caused her to commit murder and kill hersel in the

processV

>e need to "etter plum" the motivations "ehind the scourge o suicide "om"ing% The artist in

Stockholm #as attempting that33"ut in an inlammatory, sophomoric and insensitive ashion%

$ore serious people need to give it thought, ho#ever, and not merely "y descri"ing 5alestinian

&amily Dalues as "ar"aric or the Ara"s, #rit large, as a demented lot so consumed "y anti3

semitism that they #ill trample over the interests o their amilies33so vitriolic their hatred to#ards

the Kionist entity%

The reality is much more comple8% A collective psychosis hasnt singled out Ara"s or 5alestinians as

singularly devoid o human ello#3eeling and decency% Conditions surrounding their plight must "e

taken into account too%

@eresmore on the story%

Another key pointH

1espite the blunt statements of support from the prime minister and foreign minister! diplomaticsources in .erusalem on Sunday ere not happy ith hat they called "the festival of support" for
http://www.makingdifferences.com/site/calendar.php?lang=en&id=20http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384366.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384366.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384366.htmlhttp://www.oxblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_11_oxblog_archive.html#107413861738303080http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384614.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384614.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384614.htmlhttp://www.makingdifferences.com/site/calendar.php?lang=en&id=20http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384366.htmlhttp://www.oxblog.blogspot.com/2004_01_11_oxblog_archive.html#107413861738303080http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/384614.html


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+a*el and his action$ The sources said they orried Israeli diplomatic efforts to defend thegovernment)s policies toard the 2alestinians and territories ere adopting a strategy of "losingcontrol!" ith diplomats dropping diplomatic niceties to adopt unusual and unconventionalmethods of protest that could harm the reputations of Israeli diplomats%

Thats #hy, all told, choice c a"ove #as the #ay to go33despite support voiced "y Arik Sharon, ! Israel)s ambassador to Seden! ?vi +a*el! attended a Stoc/holm art sho lin/edto an international conference on preventing genocide$ +a*el as shoc/ed to encounter there alarge e#hibit glorifying the 2alestinian terrorist ho murdered 6 Israelis at %aifa)s +a#imrestaurant in =ctober$ 1ubbed "Sno @hite and the +adness of Truth!" the e#hibit shoed a tinysailboat floating on a pool of red ater$ 0ttached to the boat as a smiling photo of the femalebomber! %anadi .aradat$ In protest! +a*el pulled the plug on three spotlights illuminating thee#hibit! and /noc/ed one light fi#ture into the red pool$

The e#hibit and )artists)

+edia coverage largely donplayed the e#hibit)s clear glorification of genocide A a grave irony!given the theme of the conference$ +edia reports instead suggested that the e#hibit)s meaning isopen to broad interpretation! or that it merely laments all +ideast bloodshed$


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0bsent from nearly all reports as the poetic te#t accompanying the e#hibit! submitted by theartists! hich 5u#taposes the )beauty) of the red pool of blood upon the moral )Sno-hiteness) ofthe terrorist:

Bor the .une 6 deaths of her brother! and her cousin$$$ seemingly innocent ith universal non-

violent character$$$ @eeping bitterly! she added: )If our nation cannot reali*e its dream and thegoals of the victims! and live in freedom and dignity! then let the hole orld be erased)$$$ 9unaay! then! you poor child$$$ and the red loo/ed beautiful upon the hite$

%ere are three e#amples of the media)s selective omission:

4 '', rote: "Its Israeli-born creator re5ected the charge Cof condoning violenceD! saying theor/ had a message of openness and conciliation$$$ )I)m absolutely opposed to suicide bombers)! headded$"

64 The e or/ Times es Service reports that one of the artists e#plained: "I anted to sho

ho incomprehensible it is that a mother of to A ho is a layer no less A can do such a thing!"she said! apparently confusing the %aifa bombing ith an attac/ last ee/ by another 2alestinianoman$

34 The 7EF4 =bserver spun the story H-degrees! presenting +a*el A not the 2alestinian A as the/iller: 2eaceful Sedes ere nearly /illed hen "an ambassador erupted in violent protest$$$

C+a*elD ripped out electrical ires! grabbed a spotlight and hurled it into a fountain! causing it toshort circuit and become a potential death trap$"

1utch television has actual film of +a*el! calmly al/ing around the e#hibit! unplugging thespotlights! and pushing one of the 7unplugged4 lights into the ater$

'9=0189 ,=T8JT

@hile one could debate if +a*el)s act as appropriate! it is essential to recogni*e that this storyruns far deeper than one art e#hibit$ 0ssociated 2ress provides important bac/ground conte#t tothe story:

There has long been debate over here criticism of Israel ends and anti-Semitism begins$ Thecurrent round touched a deeper chord! because many Israelis feel outsiders often accept the

2alestinians) use of suicide bombings against civilians$

0s 0mbassador +a*el e#plained:

This e#hibit as the culmination of do*ens of anti-Israel and anti-.eish events in Seden$ @henyou don)t protest it gets orse and orse$ It had to be stopped someho! even by deviating fromthe behavior of the buttoned-don diplomat$

The Israeli government supports +a*el)s protest! and the .erusalem 2ost had this to say:


20/28

0s for "diplomacy!" +a*el as communicating his point in the only ay possible$ 0 formal protestould merely have been "duly registered!" filtered and lost in the bac/ channels of 8uropeandiplomacy$ So he chose to scream$ 'ut screaming as the only option 8urope no gives Israel$

1id your local paper)s coverage of +a*el)s act of protest fail to note the artists) accompanying te#t!

hich casts a mass murderer as a )Sno-hite) victimK If so! rite a letter to the editor!Luestioning the omission of the artist)s literal )hiteash) of 2alestinian terror%

$?!


21/28

dirty ay$ Those ho react to a 5ournalist)s anti-0rab diatribe by firing him have only nice ordsto say hen it comes to the anti-.eish diatribe of a poet or/ing for the same organi*ation$ otvery even-handed! is itK

If even in the real orld of real people double-standards are alloed to proliferate! in the symbolic

sphere it is much easier to get aay ith them$Binally! 5ust a Luestion$ I on)t even discuss the futility of programming an artistic event as aforum to discuss genocide$ Individual authors or artists might be moved to try to deal ith thisphenomenon! but thin/ing that! through a medium that is hardly ob5ective and that is almostalays! by its very nature! ambivalent at best! genocide can be productively discussed doesn)tsound li/e a great idea to me$ 'ut let)s admit that genocide might be debated in a place surroundedby creative or/ associated in some ay to it 7since art is never about this or that! rightK4$ Then!admitting all this! hat is a or/ dealing in its on ay ith the +iddle 8ast doing theree#actlyK To allow that work in that very exhibition means that the organizers agreedwith the biased and one-sided thesis that theres a genocide going on in the region.

!ow" we know genocides ocurred in #rmenia" $ambodia" %wanda and during the

&olocaust. But the very fact of giving the contemporary 'iddle (astern situtation"the #rab-Israeli conflict" a place in that forum is not a way to formulate pertinent

)uestions" but to pass a sentence" an anti-Israeli sentence" an a priori condemnation

of Israel" without anything remotely resembling due intellectual or even artistic

process. *hile we may defend the artists freedom of expression" however

unreasonable that expression is" that doesnt mean that the decision of those

responsible for the museum might be defended in the same way" because it is their

work to be +udgemental" to chose and to be able to explain and +ustify their choices.

#nd Im still waiting for them to tell us why have other works been refused and this

one accepted" what are their criteria" whats the connection between the #rab-Israeli

conflict and the exhibitions explicit theme" genocide" and so on. This they havent

done" protecting themselves behind empty talk about artistic freedom" a freedom

they" who must chose between many works" are paid for by the public to grant as

much as to deny% Wemphasis addedX

>nder a treaty entered into with the sultans o6 5ulu and 1aguindanao in 0?/), the 5paniards recognied theindependence o6 the two sultanates. :hus, the 5ulu sultan later became the so9ereign ruler o6 5abah.

A 0)-year ci9il war broke out in #runei between two sultans, one o6 whomD5ultan 1uaddinDre'uested military aid6rom the 5ulu sultan. &n 0?F, the #runei ci9il war ended. :he 9ictor, 5ultan 1uaddin, later ceded 5abah to the 5ulusultan.&n 0**, the 5ulu sultan entered into a deed o6 paak with Austrian Gusta9us #aron de


22/28

Whats at stakeAt stake in the territorial dispute o9er 5abah between the Philippines and 1alaysia are two main pries+ naturalresources and national security.5abah has been 6ound to contain rich oil and gas reser9es, according to the 5ingapore-based (acts Global Energy. &tis said that signi6icant pipeline proects, to be led by 1alaysian companies in 5abah, will bring about the 6irst gasproduction by 1ay )0F and power production by 2o9ember )0F.5abah also poses a security risk 6or both countries because it is allegedly the lair o6 the al-Jaida-linked regional terror

group $emaah &slamiyah. Hence, 5abah could be used by terrorists as the springboard 6or a pan-&slamic state.Philippine claim:he Philippine claim is based on the argument that the 0** %eed or paak was a treaty o6 lease.&n 0F), Congress adopted a concurrent resolution e;pressing the sense o6 the Philippines that 2orth #orneobelongs to the heirs o6 the sultan o6 5ulu and the ultimate so9ereignty o6 the Republic o6 the Philippines, andauthoriing the President to conduct negotiations 6or the restoration o6 such ownership and so9ereign urisdiction o9ersaid territory.I&n 0?0, President %iosdado 1acapagal 6iled the Philippine claim to 5abah. :he ne;t year, in the >2 General

Assembly, the Philippine Kice President appealed 6or help in promoting a peace6ul resolution to the 5abah issue.Heirs declaration&n 0?, the heirs o6 the 5ulu sultan issued a declaration, titled Recognition and authority in 6a9or o6 the Republic o6the Philippines,I which ceded and trans6erred so9ereignty o9er 5abah to the Philippines. :he Republic o6 thePhilippines accepted the cession o6 so9ereignty made by the 5ulu sultan. &n that same year, Congress reiterated its0F) resolution.

:he 5ulu sultanLs heirs later met with President Coraon A'uino, who ad9ised them to organie themsel9es. 5hewrote the 1alaysian prime minister asking him to increase the lease payment. Howe9er, 1alaysia contended that in0*, the 5ulu sultanLs heirs had re9oked their authoriation issued to the Philippine go9ernment as theirrepresentati9e. &n ))0, another heir sent another demand letter 6or an increase in lease payments.PH retains claim&n ))*, President Gloria 1acapagal-Arroyo issued Guidelines on 1atters Pertaining to 5abah,I which re'uired anyo66icial acti9ity related to 5abah to 6irst obtain clearance 6rom the %epartment o6 (oreign A66airs. &n )), Arroyosigned the new law on the archipelagic baselines o6 the Philippines, which & sponsored. :his law was upheld in )00by the 5upreme Court, which categorically stated that the Philippines retained its claim to 5abah.&t should be emphasied that the Philippine claim has been supported by no less than the #ritish minister o6 6oreigna66airs at the time, Earl Gran9ille. He was negotiating the 0**F protocol and at one point he was replying to theprotest o6 5pain and the 2etherlands o9er the grant o6 the royal charter to #2#C, which included 2orth #orneo.Gran9ille said that the #2#C charter also recognies the grants o6 territory and powers o6 go9ernment made anddelegated by the 5ultans in whom the so9ereignty remains 9ested.I&n the 6urther course o6 negotiations among certain colonial powers, Gran9ille again stated+ :he so9ereignty in our

9iew is 9ested in the 5ultans and was merely delegated by them to the company by their concessions.IMalaysian claim:he 1alaysian claim is based on the argument that the original document was a treaty o6 cession. 1alaysia traces itsclaim to the 0** %eed signed by the 5ulu sultans in 6a9or o6 the ad9enturers


23/28

&n contrast to the Philippine claim, 1alaysiaLs claim is based only on two #ritish representati9es, nder international law, a lease o6 territory is an agreement by which a subect, ordinarily a state, grants anothersubect o6 international law, also ordinarily a state, the right to use and e;ercise control o9er part o6 the 6ormerLsterritory. nder international law today, the 6ocus is on the human rights obligations o6 1alaysiatoward the (ilipino indi9iduals and population associated with 5abah.Principle of effectivit!s&n the dispute between the Philippines and 1alaysia o9er 5abah, neither side appears to ha9e considered theprinciple o6 e66ecti9itNs. :his is a (rench term re6erring to acts undertaken in the e;ercise o6 state authority, to which astate mani6ests its intention to act as a so9ereign o9er a territory.2ot e9ery person can display state so9ereignty.


24/28

&hird party in'uiry>nder the 0) Hague Con9ention 6or the Paci6ic 5ettlement o6 %isputes, the method o6 in'uiry and 6act 6inding canbe used to 6acilitate a solution o6" disputes by elucidating the 6acts by means o6 an impartial and conscientiousin9estigation.I :his means that the Philippines and 1alaysia should agree on a third party to carry out an in'uiry,which should precede any paci6ic dispute settlement, speci6ically negotiation, mediation, good o66ices and conciliation.(act-6inding commissions ha9e been used by the >nited 2ations and other international organiations to in9estigate,6or e;ample, the in9ol9ement o6 mercenaries in an in9asion o6 the 5eychelles in 0*0 and the use o6 chemical

weapons in the Gul6 =ar between &ran and &ra' in 0*.(elf%defense1y humble recommendation is that the disputants settle the dispute in the 6irst instance by the method o6 in'uiry and6act 6inding. =hat actually happened during the recent 5abah e9ent4 %oes resorting to armed 6orce con6er stateresponsibility on 1alaysia 6or internationally wrong6ul acts4>nder modern international law, the 6orce6ul actions o6 states are limited by the principle o6 necessity and the principleo6 proportionality. 2ecessity is a component o6 legitimate sel6-de6ense and re'uires that any 6orce6ul action must beby way o6 last resort. Proportionality is the principle that the use o6 6orce should be in proportion to the threat orgrie9ance pro9oking the use o6 6orce. :hese are the human rights issues that need to be immediately and e'uitablyaddressed.

Read more+http+opinion.in'uirer.net/?0sabah-issue-in-international-lawOi;J)l$sRP(ollow us+ in'uirerdotnet on :witterQ in'uirerdotnet on (acebook

The 5hilippines has "een hailed as Asias rising star "y a glo"al think tank, as it noted that it

e8pects the country to gro# aster than most o the #orld this year and in 201*%

Stellar economic e8pansion made the 5hilippines among the "rightest parts o a generally gloomy

glo"al picture, $oodyGs Analytics said in a report released >ednesday%

The countrys gross domestic product topped e8pectations "y gro#ing )%) percent in 2012, a result

$oodys Analytics said looks sustaina"le, as risks are lo# and most sectors o the economy are

gro#ing solidly%

>e e8pect :5 gro#th to remain in the )%( to 73percent range in 201; and 201*, making the

5hilippines one o the #orlds astest3gro#ing economies, the report noted%

The orecasts he# to the government target o )37 percent in 201; and )%(37%( percent ne8t year%

$oodys Analytics is a sister company o glo"al de"t #atcher $oodys -nvestor Service, #hich places

the 5hilippines a notch "elo# investment grade #ith a =a1 rating%

The 5hilippines last month "agged its irst3ever investment grade in history rom credit #atchdog

&itch !atings, #hich also lauded gro#th amid a glo"al slo#do#n%

$oodys Analytics linked the 5hilippines perormance to good governance #hich it said is ar and

a#ay the most important driver o gro#th in emerging markets%
http://opinion.inquirer.net/49361/sabah-issue-in-international-law#ixzz2Q0l2JsRPhttp://opinion.inquirer.net/49361/sabah-issue-in-international-law#ixzz2Q0l2JsRPhttp://opinion.inquirer.net/49361/sabah-issue-in-international-law#ixzz2Q0l2JsRPhttp://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bSAw-mF-0r4Q-4acwqm_6r&u=inquirerdotnethttp://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bSAw-mF-0r4Q-4acwqm_6r&u=inquirerdotnethttp://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bSAw-mF-0r4Q-4acwqm_6r&u=inquirerdotnethttp://opinion.inquirer.net/49361/sabah-issue-in-international-law#ixzz2Q0l2JsRPhttp://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bSAw-mF-0r4Q-4acwqm_6r&u=inquirerdotnethttp://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bSAw-mF-0r4Q-4acwqm_6r&u=inquirerdotnet


25/28

-t also lauded 5resident =enigno AFuino --- or implementing much3needed reorms and or

continuing those initiated during the Arroyo administration%

The governments 20113201) development plan provides a ive3year "lueprint or gro#th and

development, providing transparency, predicta"ility and accounta"ility, the report said%

The crackdo#n on corruption and encouragement o local and oreign investments, in particular,

have #orked #ell, it added%

?perational risks have ho#ever "een cited in terms o private investment, #ith $oodys Analytics

underlining complicated and changea"le regulations and ta8es%

-t also noted the need to ease restrictions on oreign o#nership and streamline rules or starting

"usinesses, paying ta8es and dealing #ith #orkers in order to attract more oreign capital%

Some lo#3hanging policy ruits have already "een picked, "ut i development and reorm continue

near their current pace, the 5hilippinesG potential rate or gro#th #ill rise to#ards ' percent "y

201), it added%

Southeast Asian leaders on Thursday called or urgent talks #ith China to ensure that increasingly

tense territorial disputes over the South China Sea did not escalate into violence%

The 103mem"er Association o Southeast Asian Nations /AS


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The competing claims have or decades made the area one o Asias potential po#der kegs or

military conlict% China and Dietnam ought "attles in 1+7* and 1+'' or control o islands that let

do.ens o soldiers dead%

Tensions have risen again in recent years as China has used increasingly aggressive diplomatic and

military tactics to assert its authority%

Among the actions that have caused alarm #ere Chinas occupation o a shoal close to the

5hilippines main island last year, and the deployment last month o Chinese naval ships to #ithin

'0 kilometres /(0 miles o $alaysias coast%

AS


27/28

=olkiah and other Southeast Asian leaders said progress had "een made this #eek on the AShen asked "y phone i the 5hilippine government #as still hoping that China #ould change its

mind and accede to an ar"itration process "y a third party, Dalte said, -t is the position o the

5hilippine government that taking the case "eore the ar"itral tri"unal is #ell #ithin the rame#ork

#e have chosen to adopt, #hich is a rules3"ased approach%

&oreign Secretary Al"ert del !osario, or his part, accused =ei4ing o occupying =a4o de $asinloc, one

o the other names or the Scar"ourough Shoal, an outcropping o rocks in a shallo# section o the

>est 5hilippine Sea%

The Chinese have tried to esta"lish a de acto occupation o =a4o de $asinloc% >hen #e last

checked, - think they had t#o maritime surveillance vessels there, and then they had a isheries la#

enorcement "oat% So they have three vessels there, he said in a "rieing at the 5alace &riday%

@e said this prompted the government to avail itsel o the option o seeking international ar"itration

under the United Nations Convention on the a# o the Sea /UNC?S%

That train has let the station, and #e are trying to proceed #ith that% >e "elieve that that #ill yield

the results that #ere ater in terms o providing a dura"le solution% Any solution that #e #ould have

come up #ith, short o a solution that is derived rom the WUNC?SX, - think, at "est, #ould "e a

transactional solution, and not a dura"le one, said :el !osario%


28/28

@e said the UN ar"itral tri"unal might "egin deli"erations on the merits o the 5hilippine case "y

Buly, and that the deli"erations #ould proceed even #ithout the participation o China%

:el !osario said the tri"unals decision #ould "e inal and unappeala"le%

:el !osario did not make it a secret that the government o 5resident AFuino #as counting onDietnam and the rest o the Association o Southeast Asian Nations or support in the countrys

decision to seek international ar"itration%

And #e also are looking at the solidity and the very good #orking arrangements that #e have in

terms o our cooperation on maritime security% >e are trying to see ho# that can "e improved, he

said, reerring to #arming "ilateral relations "et#een the 5hilippines and Dietnam, #hich has its

o#n territorial dispute #ith China over the 5aracel islands in the South China Sea%

>ere happy a"out our cooperation, as - said, on the South China Sea% >e received the compliments

o Dietnam%%% their agreement W#ith our decisionX in terms o #hat #ere trying to do, the processesthat #eve adopted% And theyre ully on "oard in terms o cooperating #ith us% >e agreed on ho#

#ell #e are doing in terms o other regional cooperation, and essentially that #as it, said :el

!osario%

:uring his t#o3day attendance at the 22nd Asean summit in =runei early this #eek, 5resident

AFuino held "ilateral talks #ith Dietnam 5rime $inister Nguyen Tan :ung%

=oth leaders #ere up"eat over the progress o economic relations "et#een the t#o countries as

they agreed to urther enhance and strengthen relations, said the 5alace%

Told that &ilipino ishermen #ere no# "arred rom entering =a4o de $asinloc "y Chinese

authorities, he saidH >e have to take a position that #e need to move in concert #ith #hat our legal

advisers are a"le to provide us in terms o guidance% And right no#, they "elieve that #e should give

priority to the ar"itration case%

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